So here's the thing, if you're a new reader, welcome, I hope you enjoy my story. I will be reminding you almost every chapter that I tend to stay up late writing, and don't have a beta reader, so if you come across any mistakes, please point them out to me so I can fix them.
If you're an old reader, especially if you stopped on Ch 10 (so sorry), thank you for taking the time to re-read the beginning. I've gone through the whole story so far and made some adjustments so hopefully some things make more sense, and the rest is just cleaner.
Anyway, here's my first I Love You All, on with the show!
Floorboards creaked beneath heavy boots as the ship's captain walked to the bow, gazing out into the never-ending sea. The salty wind whipped his dark curls around his pale face, and tugged relentlessly at the collar of his gaudy jacket, which was turned up against it. He raised a thin hand to shield his eyes from the blinding sun, just peeking over the far off horizon.
He turned slowly to survey his crew, lazing about the ship as it rested in the calm waters. A few had even climbed overboard, splashing about in the water like little kids. He smiled inwardly to himself, though his lips failed to display a hint of amusement, drawn forever in a curved line of boredom. They'd just left port at a rather wealthy country, having plundered its residence dry and were well sustained for a while. Both crew and captain were happy to take a break and just enjoy their victory for the moment.
"Captain Holmes." He turned to find his first mate climbing up to the top deck. "Some of the crew is saying they've spotted a monster in the water."
The captain scoffed, waving his hand dismissively "Really, Jim, there's no such thing." Of course there was, he was well aware of that, but there was no need to frighten the crew.
"Normally I would agree with you, Captain, but two men said they've seen it and Ms. Adler claims she heard singing." His Irish accent was lined with a subtle note of panic and Captain Holmes knew exactly why.
There were sirens in these waters.
Without another word he made his way to the ships edge, scanning the surf for the telltale glint of a scaled tail. Nothing. The water was unusually serene. Holmes turned back to his first mate and calmly commanded "Go tell the crew to find their positions, make sure everyone is accounted for, we're going to set sail." I can't risk losing anyone in these waters.
Jim nodded "Aye, Captain." And with that he was back on the main deck, barking orders to the crew to get to work.
Captain Holmes kept his eye on the ocean, walking both sides of the ship. There was no sign of anything out there, but if Irene had heard singing, then they weren't far away.
He turned to face his crew once again, watching them run about in a hurry to set sail. Obviously, rumours had started to spread that they were running from a monster.
Something caught his eye near the stern of the ship. A few of his men were leaning over the railing, pointing to something out in the ocean. He quickly made his way over to them, drawing his spyglass as he heard shouts of 'Siren!' and 'Mermaid!' coming from the group. He pushed his way to the front as more and more of the crew surrounded them "Where?"
One of his men, a tall, blond ex military sniper, pointed out to a small island of rocks. "She was there, sir, on the rocks."
Captain Holmes aimed his glass in that direction, scanning the islet, but coming up with nothing. The salty spray would've covered any tracks left behind. Wherever she had been, she was gone now. But a mermaid in the water is far deadlier than a mermaid on land.
He leaned over the railing, scanning the waters below. Most of the crew had gone back to work, but a few still lingered by his side. There! A pinkish silver hue glinted under the water for a brief second, then it was gone. A tail.
Captain Holmes gently pushed himself away from the edge, hoping no one else saw it. It was bad enough that his entire crew was in fight or flight mode, he didn't need them knowing the threat was still present.
Holmes pushed his way through the remainder of the spectators, barking orders at them to get back to work. They quickly scattered out of his path as he made his way back to the bow of the ship. Jim was by his side instantly.
"There's nothing on those rocks" Holmes confirmed
"And in the water, sir?" Jim whispered next to him. He'd clearly seen it as well.
The Captain sighed. "She might be dangerous."
His first mate nodded. "What shall we do then, Captain?"
He paused for a moment, weighing his options. Any siren was an obvious threat, even if there was only one, and he knew he had to get his crew safely away from her. But a nagging thought kept edging into the back of his mind. Why hadn't she attacked yet? She was clearly within range and could very easily bring his men overboard, but she wasn't singing. It was puzzling, and when something became a puzzle, Captain Holmes had to be the first to solve it.
A hint of a smile played on his lips. "Jim. Jim Moriarty. Capture that siren."